Stupid Snow.
Stupid Winter.
Stupid Spring.
Stupid Weather.
That feels better.  It needed to be said.
I know it could be worse my peeps, no needing to remind me.  But when you've already hauled out your bike, washed all the winter coats and snowpants etc., gotten rid of or stored snow boots, taken out jackets, cleaned your front hallway of all things salty and mucky...



this is definitely not a picture that you want to see out your window.

I was supposed to come home from work and have more students tonight.  A full night it would've been.  So, the silver lining to 10cm (ok... maybe just 8 cm) of snow at the end of March is that I got an unexpected night off.  All my students cancelled save one.


Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, I decided to make these with my time.  All of the homemade twix bars were done.  (Just and FYI here - you have to share those things when you make them... and you should make them... because even I couldn't resist those suckers)  We needed some comfort food.
What could be better and more simple and homey than vanilla cupcakes.  True confessions here.  I still don't truly know the difference between a muffin and a cupcake except that maybe the cupcake has icing.  AND I don't care if cupcake/muffins are passé.  Homemade cupcakes rock.  Little individual sized cakes with a little (or a LOT) icing to top it off.  I'm not a big fan of sprinkles so I kept Kid #1 and #2 from them until after the photos.



Magnolia Baker Vanilla Cupcakes
makes about 10 (I halved the recipe - feel free to double)

3/4 cup self raising flour (take 1 cup flour and add 1/4 tsp
3/4 cup (less 4 tbsp) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 lg eggs (ideally at room temperature)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Get a muffin tin ready with liners.
Combine both flours in a bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until they're light and fluffy ( just a few minutes)
Add in the eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg.
Add in the vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour alternately with the milk.  Mix well after each addition, beginning and ending with flour.
Divide into the muffin tins (I used about 10 for med/small cupcakes)


Bake for about 20 - 25 min. or until they are just spongy on top and a tester comes out clean.
Cool completely and ice as you would like.
I iced with chocolate mocha icing (the butter wasn't quite room temperature enough which is why you see these unsightly blotches of butter once in a while).